Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tena and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $891 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tena, Ecuador
Vancouver, Canada
Tena
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$891
/mo nomad
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,683
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tena and in Vancouver

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tena and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $891 per month in Tena vs $2,683 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Tena $891
  • Vancouver $2,683

A couple spends around $1,475 per month in Tena vs $3,963 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Tena $1,475
  • Vancouver $3,963

A family of three spends $2,060 per month in Tena vs $5,244 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Tena $2,060
  • Vancouver $5,244

Tena is about 67% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tena sits 34% below the global median, while Vancouver is 98% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 $5.63
$18.10 CA$25.37
-68.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.8 $54.8
$71.0 CA$99.5
-22.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.58 $7.58
$10.57 CA$14.81
-28.29%
Cappuccino
$3.34 $3.34
$3.97 CA$5.56
-15.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 $1.43
$2.07 CA$2.90
-30.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.85 CA$2.59
-43.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 $3.43
$5.67 CA$7.95
-39.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$6.61 CA$9.27
-7.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.16 CA$3.02
-47.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 $1.60
$2.58 CA$3.62
-37.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$4.30 CA$6.02
-64.88%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$4.09 CA$5.74
-49.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.51 $6.51
$12.12 CA$16.98
-46.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$13.28 CA$18.62
-59.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 $7.67
$20.11 CA$28.19
-61.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 $2.33
$3.96 CA$5.56
-41.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.43 CA$2.00
-14.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$3.71 CA$5.20
-65.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.13 $1.13
$3.92 CA$5.50
-71.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 $1.19
$2.87 CA$4.02
-58.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.08 $1.08
$2.98 CA$4.17
-63.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 $0.87
$2.61 CA$3.66
-66.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.63 CA$2.29
-38.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.93 $5.93
$15.94 CA$22.35
-62.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.27 $8.27
$14.25 CA$19.97
-41.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.52 CA$3.54
-37.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$2.87 CA$4.03
8.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 $0.33
$2.57 CA$3.60
-87.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$84.4 CA$118
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 $1.53
$2.74 CA$3.85
-44.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.63 CA$2.28
-53.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.91 $9.91
$31.90 CA$44.71
-68.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.46 CA$2.04
-41.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K $23.4K
$26.7K CA$37.4K
-12.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K $30.1K
$21.0K CA$29.5K
43.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.50 $28.50
$88.2 CA$124
-67.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.84 $17.84
$36.72 CA$51.5
-51.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.34 $28.34
$49.81 CA$69.8
-43.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.89 $29.89
$45.34 CA$63.6
-34.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.69 $16.69
$12.13 CA$17.00
37.59%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 $6.50
$12.55 CA$17.59
-48.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$729 $729
$1,055 CA$1,479
-30.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,064 $9,064
$28.5K CA$39.9K
-68.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.3 $71.3
$56.4 CA$79.1
26.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.4 $50.4
$34.37 CA$48.18
46.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 $116
$89.8 CA$126
28.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 $109
$94.3 CA$132
15.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$422 $422
$1,738 CA$2,436
-75.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$270 $270
$1,528 CA$2,143
-82.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$802 $802
$3,107 CA$4,355
-74.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$507 $507
$2,547 CA$3,570
-80.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$8,540 CA$12.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,328 CA$8,870
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tena
Vancouver
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,770 CA$5,284
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
4.24
138.68%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tena: November 3, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tena
$270
Vancouver
$1.5K 465% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Tena
$193
Vancouver
$398 106% $205
Clothing & Footwear
Tena
$156
Vancouver
$124 20.7% $32
Eating Out
Tena
$147
Vancouver
$281 91.2% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tena
$75
Vancouver
$175 134% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Tena
$43
Vancouver
$70 64.2% $28
Getting Around
Tena
$6.6 *
Vancouver
$106 1491% $99

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Tena versus $1,738 in Vancouver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Tena versus $71 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $398 – making Tena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Tena
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🕒 Local time
19:44 7:44 PM
17:44 5:44 PM
2 h behind Tena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,669
631,486
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tena Vancouver 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tena
  • Vancouver

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Tena vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tena cheaper than Vancouver?
Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 201%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,336 per month in Tena and $4,024 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $1,738 in Vancouver.
What are total monthly expenses in Tena and in Vancouver?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $891 in Tena and $2,683 in Vancouver. That makes Tena about 67% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $729 per month in Tena and $1,055 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Tena or in Vancouver?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $891, than in Vancouver at $2,683. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tena or Vancouver more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Tena vs other spots: cost of living compared

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